


Dangerously In Love

by RoselynneSummers



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, Coming Out, Drama, Fluff and Angst, Love, M/M, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-04 22:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6678769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoselynneSummers/pseuds/RoselynneSummers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is all about taking chances--not being afraid to take the next step--despite the risks. Whether it lasts or burns out, it is an experience that always changes our lives. This is a lesson Stiles Stilinski will soon learn.</p><p>Update: Chapter Four - Confessions: Allison and Stiles have a heart to heart, Derek and Stiles continue their flirtation, someone finds out Stiles' secret</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alcohol

**Author's Note:**

> Completely AU. Loosely based on my coming out experience. Inspired by listening to Dangerously in Love too many times.

Chapter One

_Alcohol_

The hip-hop beat coming from the people-sized amps in the house's den was enough to burst the ear drums of most college students. For some reason, intoxication changed the rules. Throughout the large fraternity house people were playing aggressive games of beer-pong, chatting during more social drinking games over decks of cards, and cheering on the old-fashioned but entertaining chugging competitions. The common denominator for everyone was alcohol, save for the poor soul who decided to stay sober.

Stiles Stilinski stood behind the Omega Beta Theta bar and served drinks to his peers. Not out of necessity, but more so for entertainment. If he was going to stay sober to make sure nothing was broken, trashed, or thrown out of windows, he may as well get some amusement out of it.

Stiles. If he were summed up in three words: funny, outgoing, and kind. Not a combination found in most fraternity guys. Maybe that's why he was so popular with the girls he came to know. His hair was dark and short. His lips were a little thin, but hid a perfect smile. He was well kept, mostly because he didn't have the ability to grow facial hair. Most of all, he had no idea that he was so attractive. Indeed, most of the girls he knew called him the perfect catch, though those same girls would be no more than friends with him. He was just so nice.

"STILES!" a brunette hollered as she fell sloppily onto the wet and sticky bar.

"Britney?" Stiles smiled, "Had too many?"

"You know," the inebriated girl said as she slipped behind the bar with Stiles, "I think Chris is trying to get me drunk."

Stiles looked at her, at 5'11 he stood a good 6 inches taller than the short bombshell, "Technically he's your boyfriend, he doesn't have to."

Britney shrugged, "Oh well, he'll never find me back here."

Stiles shook his head and turned his attention to a red-headed hottie who had approached the bar. She leaned over the bar and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Did I ever tell you you're really sexy when you're mixing drinks and opening beer?" Lydia smiled.

She was the girl who could be more than friends with him. A sister of Kappa Gamma Delta, she was the yin to his yang. Stiles was from a small south Georgia town with a population the size of Lydia's high school. She was raised in a rich suburb in the greater Atlanta area. She was worldly, wild, and a bit bitchy if rubbed the wrong way. Stiles, however, had never been outside of the South. Though he loved to party, his drinking ability could not match the little red-head.

"No," Stiles grinned, "but you can tell me all you want."

"I just wanted to tell you I'm headed next door to sleep," Lydia's sorority house was right next to Stiles' fraternity, "I'll see you in the morning."

Stiles nodded and kissed her, "Bye."

"BYE LYDIA!" Britney hollered ten minutes after Lydia had left. She jumped up, but moved to quickly for her stomach. She quickly released all of the alcohol she had been guzzling all night long on the floor right next to Stiles.

"Uh." She said as clutched her stomach.

Stiles sighed heavily, "Dammit!"

-X-X-X-X-

The sun was just rising over the trees and houses up and down Milledge Avenue, better known in Athens, Georgia as fraternity and sorority row, when Lydia pounced into bed with her boyfriend.

"Uh," Stiles grumbled as he opened his eyes, shielding them with his hand from the rising sun, "Lydia?"

"Uh huh," Lydia kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, "unless you've got other girls sneaking in your bed at 10 am."

"Shut up."

Lydia jumped up from his bed and opened his closet, fishing through his clothes for something he could wear. This was a normal tradition by now. She would wake him up for class, grab some clothes for him, and they would head off to class together. She was much more of a morning person than Stiles.

By the time she had grabbed a polo, a pair of jeans, and kicked his shoes out from under his desk, Stiles had barely stopped yawning.

"C'mon!" Lydia threw the clothes down on his lap, "I don't care how drunk you got last night, you're at UGA for class too."

Stiles rose from the bed and began to get dressed, "I didn't drink, but I did clean. You need to tell your friend Britney to watch how much she drinks."

Lydia smiled, she and Britney had gone to the same high school, and had remained friends through half of their college years. Now that they were juniors, they were still close.

"She never has been much for moderation," Lydia said as she stepped up closer to Stiles. She reached under his shirt and pinched his tight stomach, "and lucky for me you have."

"SHUT UP!" hollered Stiles's near comatose roommate, Scott, from across the room.

"Looks like you're the only one in the house who is," Lydia grinned as she grabbed her book bag. As she left the room, she smacked Scott as hard as she could on his butt, "Good luck recovering!"

Stiles left the room, but not before hearing a loud grunt from Scott.

-X-X-X-X-

Six months. Not long in comparison to most long-term relationships, but a pretty notable accomplishment for college students. Six months that Stiles and Lydia had been together. Six months that they had been faithful to one another. Six months of which Stiles' and Lydia's friends had been telling them that they never would make it. Why?

"Because you're two different people!"

Stiles eyed his cocky co-worker. She was loud at times, a bit obnoxious, but fun to be around. She was a classic know-it-all with no censor between her brain and her mouth. But when it came to strength of bonds, Lauren was next to none. A full-figured black sophomore, she was a year behind Stiles in school. When she started working as a waitress alongside him at La Ciudad Clásica, the most popular Mexican restaurant in town, they became quick friends.

"I'm just saying," Lauren spoke as she leaned on the cashier counter, "she's not right for you."

"And why is that?" said the girl standing behind the register: Maria, the Hispanic hostess who was a junior alongside Stiles. Unlike Lauren, she was more reserved with what she had to say, but had a temper hotter than anyone would guess.

"Because she's a sorostitute, for one," Lauren eyed Stiles.

"The term is frat mattress," Maria corrected, "and not all of them are sluts."

"This is my girlfriend you two are talking about," Stiles reminded them, "and since when do we slut shame?"

"Hush," Lauren held her finger up, "the grown girls are talking.  It's okay to slut shame if we do it."

"Hold on," Stiles glanced outside, "I think Rico is calling me, I'll be back." He stepped away and headed behind the restaurant's bar.

Lauren followed his gaze outside and turned to grab Stiles, but he had already slipped outside of arm's length. What he had been looking at was a small family heading getting out of a car: an older man and woman and a small child. Lauren turned and glared at Stiles. As she did the family got closer to the door.

"Oh, no," Lauren shook her head at Stiles, "you are not sticking me with those tight-wad sons of—"

A bell rang as the three entered the restaurant.

"—Hi! Welcome to Classic City!" Lauren forced a smile as she turned to face them.

They grunted as Maria sat them. Lauren trailed after them, glancing to Stiles who smiled at her as she walked. She quickly flipped him off.

-X-X-X-X-

Stiles leaned back in his desk chair as he stretched out the pains of the day. Long classes, long shift at work, and he ended up sitting on his desk chair wasting the rest of his night. Scott hadn't made it in, he was probably still in his study course for the VCAT. Stiles chuckled at the thought of Scott, the drunk-ass he loved to call a roommate, being a veterinarian.

A quiet beep jerked him out of his thoughts. It was an IM.

_hale_yes: hey man, how's it goin?_

Stiles eyed the ID, one he did not recognize. But that wasn't uncommon through this messenger.

_southerndawg0102: hey dude, pretty lame, nothing goin on over here. u?_

_hale_yes: sounds like fun, maybe, right?_

_southerndawg0102: wrong_

_hale_yes: fair enough, why are you on tonight?_

_southerndawg0102: the only reason i'm ever on, i've got nothing to do._

_hale_yes: are you looking for something to do?_

Stiles sighed. It never failed on there-everyone was always looking "for something to do".

_southerndawg0102: if that means someone to do, then no. i don't play that game._

_hale_yes: that's good, just checkin. there's a lot of sketchballs on here._

Okay, maybe not. Stiles eyed the computer screen. He smiled and started to type again, but Scott busted into the room.

"HOLY SHIT I HATE THE VCAT!" Scott exclaimed as he plopped down onto his bed.

Stiles quickly shut his laptop, he couldn't risk Scott seeing the conversation he was just having. One thing about Stiles was that he was a good guy, with good intentions. But he had a secret. One that he had been trying to get rid of, but just couldn't. It was something that would tarnish his southern heritage, threaten his place as a member of his fraternity, and even break the friendships he had.

It wasn't Facebook that he was chatting on, or Messages. It was nothing that the average frat guy would be talking over. It was a gay dating site.


	2. Dirty Little Secret

Stiles eyed the girl sitting beside him. This was it. This was his chance. He had to prove himself or face humiliation. He glanced at the clock: 10:58; class would start in twelve minutes. Dr. Anderson, the fat middle-aged balding professor, stood behind his podium daring anyone to be late. Stiles shook his gaze from the clock and the professor back to the piece of paper in front of him.

"We Found Love," Stiles eyed the brown-eyed girl awaiting his response, "Rihanna."

"Damn!" she exclaimed in a rushed whisper.

"Funny," Stiles smiled at her, "you think you're so smart."

"It's true right?" she pinches his leg and leans closer to him, "I mean, you kind of are."

Stiles jerked back and looked around them, casually, but obviously, "Loud much?"

"Not yet," she smiled, "but I can be."

"Allison, seriously?" Stiles shook his head and poked her in the ribs.

Allison playfully slaps him on the cheek. As if on cue, Lydia plops down in the seat beside Stiles.

"Hey baby," she smiles at Stiles and kisses him on the cheek that Allison just slapped. She eyed Allison and nodded to her, "Allison."

"Lydia," Allison responded, grinning at Stiles when he cocked his eyes at her.

Lydia did not hide her distaste for Allison. Since before she and Stiles started dating, Lydia regarded Allison as competition and had revealed that to Stiles more than once.

"Did I interrupt anything?" Lydia asked, knowing that she did.

"Just hangman," Stiles replied, "which I won."

"This time," Allison interrupted, "but this has been going on for the past two years, and I'm usually on top."

Lydia nodded and faked a smile.

Stiles never was one for awkward situations, and any time Lydia and Allison were in the same room was that kind of situation. Neither of them was to blame, there was one thing that meant the two girls would never be close: how close they were to Stiles. Lydia, the girlfriend, had only known Stiles for couple of semesters but held an extremely passionate bond with him. Allison, the best friend, had known Stiles since his first weekend at UGA and generally knew what he was thinking before he thought it.

It was a fraternity rush party where they met, the first college party Stiles and Allison experienced. It was their first weekend at UGA and Stiles decided prove his manhood by winning at every drinking game he played. As Allison tells the story, "like most idiots" he got way too drunk and she ended up scratching his back and playing in his hair while he got rid of all the alcohol he took in through the night. It was a gross bonding session that resulted in a solid friendship. To everyone's surprise their relationship was never sexual, they just kept growing closer. Their friendship reached a new level over the summer just before their junior year began: a new level marked by Stiles coming out to Allison.  It was a very long, very complicated, and very slurred drunken confession that he had planned to have with her for a long while.

Needless to say, the two had a chemistry that could not be matched, and that bothered Lydia. Allison understood Lydia's concern, but she refused to go out of her way to make a girl happy who would never like her. Whenever Stiles and Allison had a truly private conversation she would end up riding him to break up with Lydia. She had ever since she found out he was gay. Stiles could not bring himself to do it, claiming that the nice guy in him kept him from doing it until he had a good reason, or until the right time.

"There's never going to be a right time!" Allison protested over Chik-fil-A chicken nuggets and a diet coke. Their Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule was nearly identical, which meant frequent lunch dates.

"You don't know that! It could come tomorrow, or at the Auburn game this weekend." Stiles took a bite of his pizza, "If we lose I can blame her and dump her." His last words squeezed through a mouthful of pizza.

"That's attractive," Allison rolled her eyes, "I thought gay guys were supposed to be more…gay."

Stiles gave her a dumbfounded look as he chewed.

"You're eating pizza, which isn't healthy and you're freaking out about the Auburn game this weekend. Oh yeah, and you've got a girlfriend."

"She thinks I'm doing just fine." Stiles grinned.

"Does she know you like penis?"

"I don't know. At least that gives us something in common." Stiles laughed, "She likes it, a lot."

"Ew," Allison put down the chicken nugget she was going to eat, "I never want to hear about Lydia's affinity for penis again, ever."

Stiles laughed, "Sorry, I keep forgetting you don't like to talk about _the sex_."

Allison grabbed her tote bag and her tray, "Speaking of which I have to go talk to our Human Sexuality professor about the sexual positions and which one implies female dominance. I bombed that on our last test."

"What made you, the sex-o-phobe, think you could take human sexuality and actually study it?"

"Its coitophobia, which I don't have, and I don't know," she stood and gazed down to him, "you wanted to take it and I love you just that much to tag along." She leaned down and kissed his cheek, "Love ya babe."

"You too," Stiles took another bite of pizza. He barely had time to swallow before Daniel, a.k.a. Wall, sat down opposite him.

"I'll tell ya man," Wall said as he watched Allison walk away, "you're a hardcore pimp."

Wall, one of Stiles's fraternity brothers, got his name because he, for lack of a better word, was a wall. He towered over most people at 6'4, had a large built frame with a beer belly to match. He also had a thing for Allison. Stiles couldn't blame him. She came off as sweet and innocent. She was also insanely attractive and was utterly clueless to that fact.

"And I'll tell you," Stiles said as he began to pack up, "I'm with Lydia."

"Still, you've got the hotties crawling around ya."

Stiles laughed, "I guess that's better for y'all. I've got help out the frat's lame game somehow."

Wall laughed as he and Stiles rose from their seats. The two walked out together, Wall talking mostly about Allison and Stiles cringing at the thought of Wall being interested in her.

-X-X-X-X-

"Look at them," Lauren said to Rico, the sexy Latin bartender, motioning towards the line of surgically enhanced housewives sitting at the bar, "how does it feel to know all those botoxed faces and liposuctioned hips are here to just to watch you sweat trying to keep up with their drink orders?"

"Jealous?" Rico replied with his thick Spanish accent.

"You wish."

Rico pinched Lauren's butt just as he walked down to take more orders from the desperate housewives.

"I saw that," Stiles said as he grabbed 5 Miller Lite pitchers from under the bar.

Lauren grinned, "You shouldn't be paying so much attention to my ass."

Stiles took a moment-long glance at Rico, who was arguably the most attractive guy at the restaurant. Stiles then began filling up the pitchers.

"It's not your ass I'm paying attention to," Stiles eyed Lauren and caught the odd glance she gave him, "or anyone who works here. Lydia for me."

Lauren leans close to Stiles, "You say the weirdest junk sometimes."

Stiles grins, "It's why you love me." He finished filling the pitchers and loaded them onto a large tray.

"Who's the alcoholic?" Lauren asked noting the huge quantity of beer.

"My brothers," Stiles sighed, "about 10 of them decided to pile in and get drunk tonight. I feel sorry for the pledge that has to drive them back."

"I feel sorry for you," Lauren patted his back, "I hear your brothers are lousy tippers."

"Only to me, and only when their drunk," Stiles looked out of the large windows opposite the bar out onto the patio where his brothers were laughing talking, "which is always." He shrugged and walked off.

"LAUREN!" a large Mexican man emerged out of swinging double doors leading to the back kitchen, "¡Acelérelo! Tu ha conseguido dos órdenes retrocedieron!"

"No hablo español, fat ass!" Lauren yelled as she headed to the kitchen.

"He said that you—" Rico began to explain.

"—I know what he said; get back to your 40 year old whores."

Rico turned and smiled at the "40 year old whore" in front of him, who heard Lauren clearly and looked more than pissed. He could only smile wider.

-X-X-X-X-

_hale_yes: i thought i sketched you out or something the other night._

Stiles grinned. He had a little extra time between his shift ending at work and his and Scott's workout time. What better way to spend a few extra minutes than to chat with random Athens gay guys? Hale_yes had found him again, and Stiles was curious about him.

_southerdawg0102: no. if you were 53 and asked me for a hook-up then maybe. i just had to log off, my roommate came in._

It was true. The gay crowd in Athens generally tended to be kind of elderly, and deeply freaky. It made being closeted and trying to meet gay guys even harder.

Stiles always found himself questioning his motives for meeting gay guys. He knew he wouldn't cheat on Lydia, but talking to guys who, generally speaking, were only interested in one thing seemed like cheating. Somehow knowing that he had no sexual interest in his girlfriend didn't bother him as much as knowing that he was sexually interested in men. It was an odd mix of guilt, shame, carelessness, and curiosity that he felt horrible for feeling.

As Stiles got lost in his thoughts, his phone rang, it was Scott.

"Hello?" Stiles answered.

"Hey," Scott replied, "Ramsey in fifteen?"

_hale_yes: so what's ur name?_

"Here we go…" Stiles sighed.

"What?" Scott asked.

_southerndawg0102: …Scott, urs?_

"Nothing," Stiles replied, "Ramsey in fifteen, gotcha." Stiles then hung up the phone. It was time to play the game

_hale_yes: derek, nice to meet you._

_southerndawg0102: u 2, but I g2g, add me on kik – southerndawg09_

Stiles shut his computer. And so the game began: the lies, the constant dodging of identifying information. He'd had to play it before, many times. It was a lesson he learned his freshman year of college, thanks to a guy named Kent. It could be called fear, and that would not be entirely wrong. Needless to say, Stiles did what he had to do. Or at least what he thought he had to do.

Stiles shook the thoughts from his head and changed into his gym clothes.

-X-X-X-X-

"Should I feel bad?" Stiles said as he played with his own fingers.

Allison sat across the table from him. Her eyes were fixated on the book and papers in front of her. She did not respond. Stiles looked up from his intertwined fingers and scoffed.

"Um, hello, ranting here. Attention must be paid."

Allison looked up, "I'm cold."

Stiles eyed her, "And I'm talking."

"Give me your hoodie."

Stiles shook his head, "You have to listen to me to get it."

"You have to give it to me for me to listen," Allison grinned and held out her hand.

Stiles grunted and took off the solid white Georgia Bulldog hoodie. He passed it to Allison, who put it on immediately. It was much too big for her, but she wrapped up in it and leaned forward.

"You have my attention."

Stiles nodded, "So I told this guy last night that my name was Scott."

Allison rolled her eyes, "And why?"

Stiles shrugged, "Because I didn't want to risk him finding me."

"By knowing your first name?"

"Facebook is a deadly weapon."

"How many times have you talked to him?"

"Twice."

"You're stupid," Allison grinned and looked back down at her books, "there's no reason to lie to a guy you haven't really talked to."

"I've been doing this for a lot longer than you," Stiles said, "people find ways to find you. Kent found me!"

Allison took in a sharp breath, "Baby, you talked to Kent for three months before he found you, and that's because you let him. Not every guy online is an asocial crazy person who thinks that all gay guys owe him a courtesy f—"

"Rant much?" Stiles interrupted. Allison had been growing a bit loud. They were sitting together at a table in the middle of the Student Learning Center, a four-floor study room/class room/computer lab where most students went to study.

"All I'm saying is that every guy isn't gonna be like Kent," Allison said. She reached across the table and grabbed Stiles's hands, "You need to either lighten up or find a new way to meet guys. This pathological lying isn't healthy."

"Am I a liar though?"

"You lied to a guy you barely know about your first name, that counts as a lie." Allison shrugged, "But at least you feel bad about it."

"Yeah, I just wish I had a better way to meet—"

"Hola papi!" exclaimed Maria as she sat her laptop down next to Stiles.

"—study partners! Meet study partners is what I do, or need to…" Stiles tried to smile to cover up his word jumble. Maria just shook her head.

"Que pasa?" She asked. Her expression quickly turned awkward when she saw that Allison was holding Stiles' hands.

Allison jerked her hand away from Stiles' and tucked them into the hoodie pockets.

"Mind if I sit here?" asked a medium-height boy standing by Allison.

"Oh," Maria shook her head, "this is a friend of mine, I'm tutoring him in Spanish."

Allison replied, "Yeah, I was actually just leaving. I have an 8 am in the morning."

Maria's friend sat down and nodded, "Good luck with that. I haven't had an 8 am since I was a freshman."

Stiles' phone, which had been sitting silent on the table, began to vibrate. He picked it up and glanced at everyone else, "It's Lydia." He grabbed his book and car keys, "it was nice to meet you." He said to Maria's friend.

"Hey babe," he said into the phone as he began to walk off.

"Stiles," Allison whispered, "your hoodie?"

"Give it to me tomorrow," Stiles replied as he rushed away.

"Okay, thanks," she said and then whispered to herself, "for leaving me alone to enjoy the awkward moment." Allison knew Maria and Lauren through Stiles, and both of them knew he was dating Lydia. She was not close with Maria by any means, which meant Maria could easily jump to conclusions about her and Stiles' relationship: especially after seeing them holding hands.

"Speaking of meeting people," Allison said, "I never got your name."

She looked at the boy. He was far beyond cute, the most appropriate word would be gorgeous. He had dark hair, facial stubble, perfect teeth, and a nice body. Allison considered asking for his number.

"I'm Derek," he smiled, "nice to meet you—"

"—Allison," she nodded and looked to Maria, "I could use a little help with Spanish too if you have the time. Can I Facebook you?"

"Definitely," Maria nodded, "you can join us anytime."

"Thanks!" Allison grabbed her things, "Sorry I have to run. Ya'll have a good night!"

As soon as Allison walked off Maria leaned over the table toward Derek, "So you saw the hand-holding right? Did that seem weird to you? Did they have a spark?"

Derek opened his Spanish book and smiled, "Si, si, y si." Derek shrugged, "Maybe they're dating."

"Oh, no," Maria whipped out her cell phone, "he has a girlfriend and that's not her. I have to call Lauren."

"What about studying?"

"Gossip is more important," Maria insisted, a bit too seriously, "I'll only be a second."

"I doubt it," Derek grinned to himself as he began reading.


	3. Rumors

Stiles rubbed his forehead. His head was beginning to hurt from staring at his computer screen. For nearly two hours he sat at his desk studying for an exam in Developmental Psychology. Without his study group, who were either working or out downtown, he had no one to entertain him.

He rose from seat and stretched full length before grabbing a drink from his room refrigerator. He sat back down to glare at his psychology notes for a little while longer, but a message ok kik awaited him instead.

_haleyess: hey, it's Derek._

Stiles shrugged. At least he had some kind of distraction.

_southerndawg09: good for you._

_haleyess: ouch, bad mood?_

_southerndawg09: bored._

_haleyess: is that why you're not downtown? it is a thursday night…_

_southerndawg09: no, psychology's to blame for that._

_haleyess: ha, loser._

_southerndawg09: loser?_

_haleyess: you're a psych major, you have to be._

_southerndawg09: can you do better?_

_haleyess: international business._

_southerndawg09: so you can._

_haleyess: haha._

Stiles smiled. He and Derek continued making small talk, which helped Stiles get distracted from his Developmental Psychology test coming up the next week. After a while, Stiles learned Derek was a straight A student, was from the Atlanta area (like most of the students at UGA), and had no idea what he wanted to do after college. Stiles, under the guise of "Scott," revealed that he was a psychology major, from somewhere in South Georgia, and in a fraternity on campus.

They talked about being in the closet, which both of them were, and who knew. Derek said his two roommates knew, both were girls and from his hometown, one was his sister, and Stiles said his best friend knew – he did not give a name. As it turned out, both of them were unsure how their families would react when they came out, and they shared a concern for when it would happen. Derek thought it would be sooner rather than later; Stiles didn't share the same opinion.

_southerndawg09: its just that its different down there. my parents wouldn't understand._

_haleyess: so? you're their son, they'd make themselves understand._

_southerdawg09: idk, i guess i don't have to worry about it for a while._

Stiles glanced at the clock. It was 12:28 AM; he had spent over two hours chatting with Derek.

_southerndawg09: hey man, its gettin late, i need to get to bed. i have class all day tomorrow._

_haleyess: wow, its already that late? crazy._

_haleyess: ok loser, have a good night._

_southerndawg09: you wish you were as cool as me. talk to you later._

Stiles shut his computer. He picked up his phone and called Scott, making sure his roommate didn't need a ride from downtown before he went to bed. As soon as Scott was in the clear, Stiles laid down and quickly fell asleep.

-X-X-X-X-

Around 3:30 AM a drunken red-head erupted into Stiles' room. Lydia was noisy, but did not wake Stiles or his roommate. Scott had passed out into an alcohol-induced slumber no more than an hour before and was out cold for the night. It was not uncommon for Lydia to ramble out of her sorority house at the end of a night downtown and end up in Stiles' room.

Lydia snuck over to Stiles' side of the room in the dark and crawled into his bed beside him. He grunted, but did not wake. She nuzzled up to him and rested her head on his bare chest. She looked up at him and he was still asleep, he had always been a heavy sleeper. She did not fall asleep instantly, instead she fiddled with the cross necklace hanging from his neck.

Ever since she had known him he wore the same cross. It was a small gold pendant on a thin gold chain. It belonged to his mother, and had been his ever since her death. He told Lydia the story once.

She vividly remembered the story. His mother had gotten very sick and his father had to work when he wasn't at the hospital by his wife's side. After the first month of living in a silent and mostly empty home, Stiles moved in with his grandmother and stayed with her. He was supposed to stay with her until his mother recovered, but she never did. A month before he graduated from high school she died in her sleep. A few weeks before her death she gave Stiles the necklace to wear during his graduation, so that she could be there regardless of her health.

"I didn't want to take it because that meant she was ready to die" Stiles told Lydia, "but she insisted. She told me to keep it to remind me that she'd always be with me."

Granted it was cliché, but it was a defining moment in Stiles' life. Secretly Lydia hoped he would one day give the cross to her, which would be a sign of dedication and trust. Even more secretly, Lydia doubted that she'd ever get to wear it. Her hope was that she was wrong, but only time would tell.

Stiles opened his eyes and looked down to see Lydia cuddled against him, her hand still over the cross resting on his chest. He grinned and kissed her head. She had already fallen asleep. Stiles began to rub her back and closed his eyes once more.

-X-X-X-X-

Allison tied her dark hair back into a ponytail. She and Stiles were eating lunch at the campus student center. Stiles had been ranting on through their previous two classes about Derek. He revealed to her every detail about their two-hour conversation, and then revealed the same details again.

"Stiles," Allison eyed him, "baby, darlin'. You've got to chill, I've heard this twice already today."

Stiles scoffed, "But isn't it weird, I've never really talked to anyone that long after just meeting them."

"We've talked that long plenty of times," Allison replied.

"Well, guys," Stiles specified, "gay guys, that I've never even seen. It's kind of rare to have that good of talk with someone. It's usually, 'Hey, what do you look like, wanna hook up, how big is your cock?'"

"Ew," Allison commented as she took a sip of her diet coke, "I still don't see why you waste your time on there."

"I'm only on there like twice a month, max."

"You've been on there three times this week," Allison insisted.

"Nope," Stiles shook his head, "we talked on Kik last night"

Allison dropped the piece of pineapple she was about to eat, "What? You gave him your Kik?  Your REAL Kik?"

Stiles nodded, "I don't know why, he was just different."

Allison mocked fascination, "If he has your real Kik then you must be ready to propose! I call being your woman of honor, but I will not be wearing a tux."

Stiles threw a chicken nugget at her and scoffed.

Allison laughed, "Different? You gave it to him the other day right?"

"Yeah."

"Which means you'd only talked for like two minutes before you gave it to him, how was he different?"

"I don't know," Stiles shrugged, "he didn't seem sketchy, and he didn't ask for a picture, he didn't want to Facebook me, or ask for anything that would hint to who I was. Most people do."

"Maybe he's ugly," Allison said, catching a mean glare from Stiles.

Allison pointed to the clock hanging on the wall. Stiles checked his watch and nodded. The two rose from their seats, grabbing their bags and trash and began to leave the student center cafeteria.

"Still," Allison responded, "you know that he could look you up with your ID."

"My ID's not on my Facebook," Stiles replied, "and didn't you say that I shouldn't be so paranoid?"

"Huh?"

Stiles tossed his trash into a trash can near the door, "I'm just saying you're the paranoid bitch queen right now, not me."

Allison cut her eyes at him.

"Speaking of bitch queens," Stiles smiled wide and waved across the cafeteria to Lauren and Maria.

Allison turned and saw Lauren and Maria waving back. She laughed as she and Stiles left.

Lauren and Maria smiled as Stiles and Allison walked out, and then turned back to their food.

"I can't believe he'd cheat on Lydia," Lauren whispered.

"I can't either, it doesn't make sense," Maria whispered back, "but I can see it happening if it's with Allison."

"Why are we whispering?" Lauren said loudly as she leaned back in her chair.

"Because this is serious," Maria insisted, "I mean, if Andy was cheating on me I'd want his friends to let me know."

"We don't know anything for sure," Lauren reminded Maria, "and those two are best friends, maybe it was a friend hand-holding thing."

Maria scoffed, "Do you hold hands with Rico."

Lauren snapped her fingers, "I wish."

Maria eyed Lauren.

"I mean," Lauren stuttered, "no…"

Maria smiled, "You've got it for Rico? He's gay, Lauren!"

"We need to figure out if Stiles is cheating on Lydia." Lauren changed the conversation.

Maria smiled. She knew that Laura was trying to change topics. "Yeah, but how?"

"Leave it to me," Lauren winked.

-X-X-X-X-

Rico leaned on La Ciudad Clásica's bar. He was chatting up a bleach-blonde mother who was telling him her life story. After about two hours of drinking, talking (and eventually slurring), one of her friends picked her up. The woman left Rico her cell phone number.

"You man-ho," Lauren grinned as she took a seat at the bar.

"Mamacita," Rico said as he picked up a couple of glasses off of the bar, "you look different in normal-people clothes."

Lauren was not working that night, neither was Maria.

"I was just stopping by pick up my paycheck and I figured I'd say hey," Lauren stated, giving Stiles a wave as he rushed into the kitchen. It was a busy night.

Rico nodded and stepped away to serve a guy at the bar. He then made his way back to Lauren with a pink drink in his hand. He sat it in front of her.

"Rico," Lauren smiled, "thank you."

"It's virgin," he stated, "unlike you."

"Screw you," Lauren sighed as she took a sip, "anyway, I need you to do me a favor."

"I knew it," Rico leaned on the bar in front of Lauren, "que pasa?"

"You've been working here for like a month, right?"

"Si."

"And you know everyone pretty well, right?"

"Most everyone, yeah."

Lauren nodded, "What do you know about Stiles?"

Rico glanced out at the dining room to Stiles, who was chatting with a table of customers, "Not enough." Rico's expression was a bit odd, but Lauren did not catch the different tone.

"Not enough for what?'

Rico snapped out of his gaze at Stiles and back to Lauren, "Not enough for what you want."

"You know what I want?"

"No, but I'm assuming its some kind of info. I thought you two were friends."

"We are," Lauren said, "but this is guy information. Stuff you guys talk about when we girls aren't around."

"What?'

"Well, me and Maria think Stiles may be cheating on his girlfriend."

"What?!" Rico leaned closer to Laura.

"Yeah, I know!"

"He has a girlfriend!?" Rico sighed.

Lauren eyed Rico, "Yeah, one that he may be cheating on."

Rico nodded, "I don't think Stiles is the cheating type."

"Well I want you to find out."

"No, no, mamacita, Rico doesn't snoop."

Lauren grunted, "But Rico does talk about himself in third-person? Rico, please! It'll sound wrong coming from us!" Lauren leaned up and made the best pitiful expression she could.

"Ok, ok," Rico shook his head, "I'll talk to him, no promises though."

Lauren nodded, "Thanks babe!" She rose from her seat and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What's my reward?" Rico asked, "If I find out."

Lauren grinned, "I guess we'll find out." She then turned and sauntered out of the door, swinging her hips as if they were a calling card for Rico.

Rico laughed to himself and looked at Stiles as he rushed back into the kitchen, "All the good ones are straight." He shook his head and moved on to the next customer.

-X-X-X-X-

Rico did as he was asked. By the end of the night, he had gotten an invite to go to Stiles' house and play drinking games with him and his brothers. Rico did not refuse.

Around 12:00 AM Rico arrived at the Omega Beta Theta house to hear loud music and shouting. When he stepped inside he saw nothing but college-aged co-eds mixing all around the house. There were a couple of games of beer pong going on, a game of flip-cup, and couple more card games. Rico spotted Stiles at the flip-cup table, attempting to flip a cup over.

"Sup chico?" Rico asked once the game was over.

Stiles turned, "Ricoooo!" he put his arm around the Latino and pulled him up to the table. The game was girls versus guys, or as the brothers called it "chicks vs. dicks," and the girls were winning. Stiles added Rico in the game and Lydia, who was across the table from Stiles, pulled Britney up to even out the numbers.

After a few more rounds, with smack talk going on between the teams, the girls won 21 to 16.

Stiles, Rico, Lydia, and Britney moved on to play a game of beer pong. All of them were tipsy, but Rico was by far the most sober.

"So," Rico edged in while they were setting up their cups, "that's your girlfriend?"

Stiles looked across the table at Lydia, "That's her."

"You make a good couple," Rico added. He did not know how to bring up Allison. He wasn't even sure if Stiles would bring her up that night.

"STILES!" shouted a girl's voice.

"ALLISON!" Stiles exclaimed as his best friend ran up and hugged him.

From across the table, Lydia noticed and began talking hurriedly to Britney.

"I juss-lost waterfall!" Allison slurred to Stiles, "I sleep now-your couch?"

Stiles nodded and Allison scurried off, passing Lydia and Britney on her way out. She stopped and spoke to them; the drunken Allison was much more friendly and oblivious than the sober one.

"Wow," Rico said, thinking that the whole process was going to be much harder, "she's hot. Who is she?"

Stiles began to fill their cups, "That's Allison. She's our frat's Sweetheart."

"Sweetheart?"

"Like our 'favorite girl,'" Stiles answered, "we vote on all of the girls that hang out with us a lot and make one our Sweetheart. She's like a sister."

Rico nodded, "Who's she with?"

Stiles shrugged, "No one, I don't guess. She's single. She's like my best friend, I'd know if she was dating someone."

Rico nodded. Stiles hollered across the table to Lydia and Britney, and the game began. It was mostly trash talk between the two teams, and Rico did not get much else out of Stiles through the game. After the game Rico was stolen by Lydia and some of the girls. Stiles wandered off with some of his brothers.

Rico did not get another chance to talk to Stiles one on one for the rest of the night and ended up sobering up and leaving around 3 AM. Stiles and Lydia had disappeared upstairs.

-X-X-X-X-

Stiles' alarm clock went off at 8:00 AM Saturday morning. It did not wake him up, but Scott and Allison's shout for him to shut it up did. Stiles reached up and clicked the alarm off, then laid back down. Lydia groaned and snuggled back up to him before opening her eyes.

"It's Gameday baby!" she quietly exclaimed.

Stiles smiled and stretched, "I know, and I'm not hungover. This is amazing!"

Lydia chuckled, "I had fun last night. Your friend was nice."

"Rico?" Stiles asked, "Yeah, I invited him over after work. He's our bartender."

"Sarah thought he was really cute," Lydia continued, "but he's gay."

"He's gay?" Stiles asked, "Seriously?"

"Well, he didn't say he was," Lydia yawned, "but I can tell. I have really good gaydar."

Allison busted out laughing, obviously still drunk, and fell off of the couch.

Stiles sat up, halfway freaking out and halfway checking on her, "Allison, you ok?"

Allison grunted, "Yep, y'all need new walls. These won't stop spinning."

Stiles rolled his eyes and sank back into the bed.

"What was so funny?" Lydia asked.

"Nothing," Allison responded, "Scott did something."

As if on an awkward cue, Scott began to snore.

"Oh," Lydia shook her head, "okay." Lydia put her arm around Stiles' waist and whispered in his ear, "And you say Britney needs to learn about moderation?"

Stiles nodded, "Ironic, huh?"


	4. Confessions

"You could have been more subtle."

"How?'

"I don't know...maybe by not laughing and falling off of the couch. Just a suggestion."

"I couldn't help it."

"You weren't that drunk."

"THE GIRL WITH A GAY BOYFRIEND SAID SHE HAD A GOOD GAYDAR!"

Stiles and Allison erupted in laughter as they waited in the Zaxby's drive-thru. Stiles, Allison, Lydia, and Scott managed to get out of bed around 1 PM, and after taking turns in the shower the four were ready to go the game about fifteen minutes before it started. The game was amazing, mostly because the Bulldogs stomped the Tigers 31 to 6.

After the game, Lydia went back to her sorority house to get ready to go out for the night. Allison decided she would pass on the after-game festivities, so Stiles volunteered to take her home in his Jeep Wrangler (mostly to keep Wall from offering.)

"This is horrible," Allison sighed, "I'm laughing at her. This shouldn't be funny."

Stiles shrugged, "It's funny."

Allison shook her head, "It's not. This would only be funny if I hated her, and I don't."

"You don't?" Stiles eyed her.

"Well, a little, and only because she hated me first."

"That's mature," Stiles pulled up to the drive-thru window and handed the cashier his debit card.

"And using some poor unknowing sorority girl as a beard is?"

"Well, you know I can't grow facial hair." Stiles grinned.

Allison punched him in arm, "Seriously, Stiles!"

"OW! She's not a beard," Stiles insisted, "it didn't start like that. It just happened."

The cashier handed Stiles their food and drinks. He passed them to Allison, but grabbed his coke from her. He took a sip as he pulled out onto the road.

Allison looked as though she was deep in thought and then blurted out: "Have y'all had sex?"

Stiles spit out the coke that was in his mouth.

"Touchy subject?" Allison chuckled.

"What?" Stiles was partially choking on the soda that he was in the middle of swallowing, "Since when do you ask me about my sex life?"

"Since when are you scared to talk about it?"

Stiles and Allison stared at one another for a moment, until Allison said "Brake lights" and Stiles remembered that he was driving. Stiles broke the stare and glanced at the road. There was a moment of silence, until Allison loudly cleared her throat to remind Stiles of their conversation.

"Yes."

Allison slapped Stiles on the shoulder.

"Ow, woman!"

"You had sex with her!? Stiles! You don't have sex with a girl when you're gay, that makes you bi!" She slapped him along with nearly every word she spoke.

"Or just greedy."

"I'm not joking!" Allison was actually yelling, "No wonder she's sprung over you! When's the last time you two had a poke session!?"

"Poke session?"

"Answer the question!"

Stiles braced for another slap, "Wednesday."

Allison slapped him again, but harder, and more than once.

"STILES!" she exclaimed, "Sex is emotional for a girl!"

"And it's not for me?" Stiles defended himself the best he could, "I never said I didn't care for the girl!"

"Do you care for me?"

Stiles gave Allison a confused glance, "Yes, of course."

"Do you wanna do it with me?"

"NO!"

"Then why with her!?"

"She made me!"

"She made you!?"

"It's complicated!"

Allison leaned back in her chair and ate one of her French fries. There was another moment of silence. She cleared her throat again.

"Don't give me that. I answered your question." Stiles kept his eyes on the road.

"But you haven't explained anything."

"I told you—"

"—she made you." Allison interrupted, "Not good enough."

Stiles sighed, "Allison, you wouldn't understand. I'm afraid. The first time we had sex I was fighting it as much as possible. When I realized that we were going to I was scared to turn her down. I'm scared a lot, it's why I do a lot of the stupid things I do. It's why I lie to random people online, it's why I haven't broken up with her yet, it's why my other friends don't know about me."

Allison nodded. She knew it was complicated, and she knew that Stiles had to be getting tired of her constant prodding, but what else was she going to do?

"You know you're the only person _in the world_ who knows about me?" Stiles said, "I mean, you're really the only person I trust with it. My friends back home, the girls I used to hang out with all the time, none of them know or even have a clue."

"I love you," Allison interjected, "you know that. It's why I keep hinting that you should—"

"—hinting?" Stiles looked at Allison and grinned.

"Okay--throwing it in your face--that you should do something about Lydia." Allison smiled, "But remember that I love you, and that's why I do it. You're the Will to my Grace."

"Aww," Stiles joked, "I heart you too."

"Heart?"

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" Stiles turned up the radio, ignoring Allison's last comment. Within seconds he was singing loudly to _Work from Home_.

Allison laughed. If you sat down and had a conversation with Stiles you would never guess he was gay. If you watched the way he walked, the way he carried himself, and the way he reacted to people, you would never guess either. A deep glance at his wardrobe would give you no hints. The only thing that came close to giving him away was his music taste and even that he had learned to cover.

-X-X-X-X-

Stiles stood in his candy-cane boxers in front of his closet doors. He was fishing through his massive collection of clothes for something to wear downtown. A voice from across the room interrupted his search.

"Nice candy-canes," Scott said, "it's not Christmas yet idiot; it's barely Thanksgiving."

Stiles turned around. Scott had just gotten out of the shower; he too was looking for something to wear.

"Like turkeys are any better?" Stiles pointed to Scott's turkey-printed boxers.

"Hey, the girls dig them." Scott insisted as he put on a pair of pants.

Stiles grabbed faded jeans and a green polo and threw them on his bed, "What chicks? You always come home with none."

Scott shrugged, "I can't wait until I get home, I take care of business downtown." He laughed.

Stiles scoffed, "By puking on them and running away."

Scott nodded, "That's my game."

They laughed. Scott was Stiles' best guy friend, and Scott knew him almost as well as Allison knew him. They were roommates freshman year in the dorms, and moved into the house together their sophomore year. They decided to stay in the house again their junior year. If Stiles was ever to come out to anyone in the fraternity, it would be to Scott.

Stiles put on his polo and grabbed his jeans, but the "ding" of an message interrupted him. He opened his phone and checked it out. It was Derek.

_haleyess: hey loser, not going out tonight?_

Stiles grinned.

_southerndawg09: are you?_

_haleyess: no, i just woke up._

_southerndawg09: wow, it's like ten. wild night last night?_

_haleyess: yeah, you could say that. me and my roommates went downtown and one of them got arrested.  MIP._

_southerndawg09: that sux!_

_haleyess: yea. we spent most of the morning getting her out of jail, then we talked to her parents. they came and picked her up around lunch and i went to bed._

_southerndawg09: i'm sorry. we won the game, if that makes it better._

_haleyess: a little. 31 to 6 right?_

_southerdawg09: yea._

_haleyess: so are you gonna keep me company for a little while, or do i have to actually leave my room and do something?_

"Nice candy-canes," Lydia said as she popped the elastic band of Stiles' boxers.

Stiles jumped in surprise. Sometimes Lydia crept into his room a little too well, "Thanks!" He quickly locked his phone.

-X-X-X-X-

Derek waiting, but didn't get a response.  Derek ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Oh well," he rose from his chair. He walked out of his room and to his sister's door. He opened it and the room was dark. He flipped on the light and looked towards the curled-up lump in his sister's bed.

He walked up to the bed and sat next to the lump, "Laura, wake up. Let's go out!"

Laura threw the covers off of the top of her head. She was a pretty brunette with smoky blue eyes that matched Derek's. She twisted her face in denial.

"Light, no, sleep!" She threw the covers back over her head.

Derek sighed, "Okay, whatever."

"Mmhmm, love ya, bed, bye." She mumbled as Derek walked out. He flipped off the light as he left.

-X-X-X-X-

"Why aren't you dressed?" Lydia asked, "Not that I'm complaining." She playfully slapped Stiles' butt.

"I'm sick," Stiles replied, faking a cough, "I was just looking up my symptoms on WebMD, I've either got throat cancer or a cold."

"Aww, baby," Lydia hugs him; "you're not coming out?"

Stiles sighed and acted upset about it, "No, I'm really sorry. I was looking forward to going out with you and all of your friends. But y'all can have fun without me. Have a girls' night!"

Lydia shrugged, "I guess. I can stay in with you if you like."

"No, no," Stiles insisted as he sat on his bed, "you should go downtown. I'd never forgive myself if I gave you throat cancer!"

Lydia grinned, "Okay, you're right. Call me if you need anything."

Stiles looked up at her and nodded. Lydia leaned down and kissed his cheek. He smiled and Lydia left, passing Scott on her way out of the room.

Scott glanced over at Stiles, he had been in the bathroom primping while Lydia was in the room, "Dude, you're not going out?"

Stiles shook his head as he grabbed his laptop and leaned back on his bed, "Nope, not in the mood."

Scott sighed, "That's sad, because your candy-canes definitely were."

Stiles laughed as Scott left the room. He opened his computer, put on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and replied to Derek

_southerndawg09: sorry about that. you there?_

-X-X-X-X-

"I know," Derek said, "but I'm lonely and don't feel like going downtown. By the time I get ready and dressed and all it'll be 12."

"You mean it takes a long time for you to not shave, put on a t-shirt, and a dark jacket?" said the girl on the phone, "I love you, Derek, but I'm cramping too bad to move."

"Ugh!" Derek groaned, "Hope you get to feeling better. Don't OD on Midol."

The girl laughed as they hung up the phone. Derek yawned widely and began to get back into bed when he got a message. He smiled.

_haleyess: i thought you bailed out on me_

-X-X-X-X-

"You are such an alcoholic." Lydia shook her head as she, Scott, and some of his brothers and her sisters walked up Broad Street from downtown. They were headed back to their houses; it was only a fifteen minute walk from the bars.

"I'm not," Scott insisted, "I'm a drunk. There's a difference!"

"What?' asked one of Lydia's sisters.

Brian, one of Stiles and Scott's housemates responded: "Alcoholics go to meetings, drunks just get smashed!" He hollered. Scott did as well and they high-fived.

Lydia shook her head.

They had made it to Milledge Avenue, fraternity and sorority row, and made their way down the street towards the houses.

"Hey," Lydia poked Scott as they neared the Omega Beta Theta house, "I'm gonna go on home, I need to stretch out in my own bed tonight. Can you check on Stiles for me?"

"Sure thing," Scott replied as he and his brothers broke off from the group and walked up to their house.

Within ten minutes Scott was upstairs. The lights were off, and Stiles had fallen asleep sitting on his bed, leaning up against the wall. His laptop was in his lap and his phone sitting on top of it.

"That crazy bastard studies too much," Scott shook his head and grabbed the laptop from Stiles' lap.

He sat it on the desk.  He took Stiles' phone from his hand and plugged it into his charger.  The phone lit up and a string of messages were displayed on the lock screen, all from someone named  _haleyess._

"Haley Ess?" Scott whispered himself.  He put the phone down, but the temptation was too great.  Who was he testing so much so late at night when he ditched his girlfriend to go downtown?  Who was this girl?

_haleyess: you shouldn't feel bad about being attracted to guys and it's legal to get married now!  it doesn't matter that we're in Georgia...people are a lot more accepting than they used to be._

_haleyess: i mean, if we were to ever meet and go on a date I'd hope you'd be okay going out with me...in public..._

_haleyess: you haven't responded for a while, did you fall asleep on me?_

Scott's head started spinning, and not thanks to the alcohol. This fact sobered him up pretty quickly.

"He's gay," he said to himself as he stared at Stiles.

Scott sat in Stiles' desk chair and put his face in his hands. He had to think. He had known Stiles for over two years and the thought had never crossed his mind. Had Stiles been watching him in _that gay way_? What had been going through Stiles' mind every time he and Scott worked out together? What about Lydia, was she just a cover? Thoughts began racing through Scott's head so fast that he did not register them all.

He stood up from the chair and fought the urge to rush out of the room hollering through the house. Scott took a few deep breaths and contained himself. He then looked at Stiles, still sitting on his bed and leaning against the wall. His chin was resting on his chest. The boy was dead to the world.

Scott shook his head and walked up to Stiles' bed. He moved him to lie down, Stiles cooperated with the way Scott moved him. Scott covered him up and he snuggled with himself under the covers. Scott chuckled, Stiles slept like a rock. He slept through more than one fire-alarm their freshman year in the dorms.

He made his way to his side of the room and sat on his bed. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked it, Lydia was calling.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Scott, how's Stiles?" Lydia asked.

Scott took another deep breath, "He's good. He's passed out."

"Okay, y'all have a good night. I'll see you boys tomorrow."

"Later." Scott shut his phone and looked back over to Stiles' bed.

He changed into his sleep clothes and crawled into bed. As he was falling asleep he laughed and said to himself:

"He's a damn good liar."


End file.
